ST. STEPHEN'S GATE

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Location

City

Jerusalem [ירושלים ;القُدس]

County

Jerusalem [ירושלים ;القُدس]

Region

Country

Israel

Ancient place

Ierusalem/Col. Aelia Capitolina

Lat/Long/Alt

31.781 / 35.237 / 737.67 view

Location details

Centred on field

Find spot comment

Found either at Ophel or near St. Stephen's Gate

Information

7541

Permalink

https://chre.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/hoard/7541

Hoard name

ST. STEPHEN'S GATE

Alternative names

Jerusalem 1935; Lion's Gate, Sheep's Gate, Old City of Jerusalem, Bāb el Asbāṭ; Ophel

Data type

Hoard

Date of discovery (from)

Nov 1935

Total number of coins

160

Summary

The hoard comprised 160(?) silver shekels, 89 of which were published. These coins date between 258 BC and AD 68/69.

Details
Coins Summary
Coins
Rating
Archaeological context
Containers
Objects
References
Reports
Images
Credit

Discovery method

Unknown
Disposition

Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA 54688-54697)
Comment

The IAA holds 11 of the coins. "In November 1935 a rumour became current that a collection of 160 shekels had been found either at Ophel or near St. Stephen's Gate. The finder and the original source of the coins which were being sold in the market have not been traced; but 64 shekels and 25 non-Jewish coins were deposited by the dealers who were known to possess them in the hands of the Government; and these I have been allowed to examine" (Hill 1938a, 78). It is not clear if the coins make up one or two hoards: "The only question remaining is whether the Jewish shekels come from one hoard and the Ptolemaic and Tyrian coins from another. That questions will perhaps never be answered. But at any rate the assumption that we are dealing with a single hoard is not unreasonable..." (Hill 1938a, 79). G. Hill and E.T. Newell further argued that these coins comprised one singular hoard in a subsequent publication (Hill 1938b, 63).
Closing reign (earliest)

Uncertain
Terminal year (earliest)

68
Closing reign (latest)

Uncertain
Terminal year (latest)

69
Opening year (earliest)

-258
Opening year (latest)

-258
Coin-level data

Not available

Fetching coin data

Numismatic rating

Poor
Context rating

Poor
Findspot rating

Poor

Site comment

The coins were unprovenanced and purchased on the market from three different Jerusalem dealers. The hoard was believed to have been found outside of St. Stephen's Gate (Lion's Gate) in Jerusalem during the construction of a new road.
Recovery method

Non-archaeological intervention
Site class

Urban

Context

Uncertain

End period

Roman

References

Reference

Noe, S.P. - 1937 - A Bibliography of Greek Coin Hoards (2nd ed.)

Ref

p. 141, no. 516

Comment

"Jerusalem (Ophel?)"

Reference

Hill, G. - 1938 - The Shekels of the First Revolt of the Jews

Comment

Reference

Hill, G. - 1938 - Additional Note on 'The Shekels of the First Revolt of the Jews'

Comment

Reference

Kadman, L. - 1960 - The Coins of the Jewish War of 66-73 CE

Ref

p. 81

Reference

Kadman, L. - 1967 - The Monetary Development in Palestine in the Light of Coin Hoards

Ref

No. 27

Comment

Year: 1936, Number: 185 AR

Reference

Meshorer, Y. - 1989 - The Coins of Masada

Ref

p. 75

Comment

"Found in 1935 including some 300 shekels. Out of this hoard, 64 Jewish shekels and 25 Tyrian shekels were published by G.F. Hill."

Reference

Waner, M. - 1998 - Roman and Byzantine Coin Hoards From the Land of Israel. Catalogue and Analysis (in Hebrew)

Reference

Leonard Jr., R.D. - 2000 - Numismatic Evidence for the Authenticity of the Copper Scroll

Ref

p. 685

Reference

Waner, M. and Safrai, Z. - 2001 - A Catalogue of Coin Hoards and the Shelf Life of Coins in Palestine Hoards during the Roman and Byzantine Periods

Ref

No. 5

Comment

"Lion’s Gate (J’lem) Hill"

Reference

Butcher, K. - 2004 - Coinage in Roman Syria: Northern Syria, 64 BC - AD 253

Ref

p. 272, no. 22c

J. Goldman (July 2016). Mandate Period Hoard Documentation at the Israel Antiquities Authority; IAA R.H.8 "Jerusaem, Old City, St. Stephen's Gate". Updated by C. Gazdac (Feb. 2022).

Coin Hoards
of the Roman Empire

ST. STEPHEN'S GATE

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References

Coin Hoardsof the Roman Empire

ST. STEPHEN'S GATE

Data not added to the map

References

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Coin Hoards
of the Roman Empire